It's easy to think that if you want 5 hens, it's enough to buy 10 hatching eggs because roughly half of the chicks will be hens. But from hatching eggs to a fully hatched hen, there are several things that can affect the outcome.

🐣 Example: You want approximately 5 hens

🥚 20 hatching eggs – 100 %

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❤️ Approximately 15 develop – around 75 %

Some eggs may be unfertilized, while others may stop developing early.

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🐣 Approximately 11–12 chicks hatch

Even eggs that develop well are not guaranteed to hatch. Some may stop late in development or fail to complete the hatching process.

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🐔 Approximately 5–6 hens

The sex distribution is on average roughly 50/50, but it's completely normal for a single batch to have more roosters or more hens.

🌿 A useful rule of thumb

If you want around 5 hens, we recommend starting with approximately 20 hatching eggs.

20 eggs → approximately 15 develop → approximately 11–12 chicks → approximately 5–6 hens

This roughly means that around 25 % of the hatching eggs you start with may end up as hens.

🌡️ What affects the hatching percentage?

The percentages above are only an estimate. Results can vary quite a bit from one incubation to another.

The incubator

A stable and reliable incubator makes a big difference. Some machines can have temperature differences between different spots in the incubator, and the thermostat may not show the exact correct temperature.

Temperature

Temperature that is too high or too low – especially over longer periods – can affect development and cause embryos to die. A steady and correct temperature throughout the entire incubation period is therefore important.

Air humidity

Humidity affects how much fluid the egg loses during incubation. Both very high and very low humidity can result in poor hatching rates. Near hatching, humidity is usually increased.

Egg turning

Eggs must be turned regularly throughout most of the incubation period. If the machine has automatic turning, you should check that this actually works.

External influences

Room temperature, drafts, direct sunlight, power outages and large temperature fluctuations around the incubator can affect the conditions inside the machine.

Storage before incubation

How old the eggs are and how they have been stored before placing them in the machine can affect the result.

Shipping 📦

Shipped hatching eggs can have lower hatching percentages. Shaking, impacts and temperature changes during transport can affect the egg even though it looks completely normal on the outside.

Fertilization

Not all eggs are necessarily fertilized. The age and health of the breeding birds, the number of hens per rooster and other conditions in the breeding flock play a role.

❤️ Remember

Even if you do everything right, there is no guarantee of a specific number of chicks or hens. Incubation always involves a bit of chance.

🐥 That's why 20 hatching eggs is a good starting point if your goal is approximately 5 hens – but the result can be both higher and lower.